Teleworking: this surprising study challenges all our certainties

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Amazon, Rockstar Games, Ubisoft, and Apple are examples of companies that are forcing their employees to return to the office, in part or in full. Among the arguments used to criticize teleworking, some managers cite in particular the inequalities created by this method of organization.

According to a preconceived idea, remote working would thus be an advantage for privileged employees who would enrich themselves even more by reducing certain costs related to transport or housing. A new study published by researchers from the University of Nottingham, the University of Sheffield and Kings’ College London, challenges this theory.

The conclusions of this research

To get a clearer picture, academics have assessed the pay gaps between people working from home and those working on site. The idea is to know what impact these work models that have developed during the Covid-19 pandemic have had.

The authors are quite clear on this subject. The shift to teleworking has not in fact led to any significant change in overall inequality, but rather ” a substantial increase in average pay across the board “, the scientists report.

According to them, working remotely can, in some cases, reduce employees' income. Except that this effect would be offset by potential gains, such as free childcare, or even access to a company car, specify our colleagues at Fortune.

Conversely, bosses who are wary of remote work are trying to convince their employees to return to the office. This leads to a small increase in pay for those concerned. In the end, these two trends almost cancel each other out, so there is no visible effect.

Quoted by the agency Bloomberg, Paul Mizen, vice-dean of the King’s Business School at King’s College London, concludes:

There are arguments that suggest that companies should encourage or even require their employees to return to the office, and you could argue that if working from home increases inequality, that is an additional argument in favor of this measure. Our research shows that this does not increase inequality, so we cannot use this as an excuse to encourage people to return to the office.

A reflex to adopt when teleworking

As a reminder, there are some good reflexes to adopt when you are teleworking. In particular, it is advisable to stick to a fairly regular rhythm that includes lunch breaks and a real disconnection during the day. It is for your mental and physical health. To learn more about this, feel free to reread our dedicated article here.

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